Creators of the hit fantasy fiction drama Stranger Things have been sued for allegedly stealing the idea and concept of the show by a filmmaker. Charlie Kessler claims that brothers Matt and Ross Duffer took the idea for the sci-fi/supernatural series from his short film Montauk and a related feature film script titled The Montauk Project, according to the lawsuit, reports cnn.com. Also Read: Stranger Things stars get massive salary hike for season 3
According to court documents which were filed on Monday, Kessler claims he met and discussed his film and script with the Duffer brothers at a premiere party during the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2014. Montauk, which won an award at the Hamptons Film Festival in 2012, was a found-footage of a sci-fi short movie that told the story of a violent event that took place in the Long Island community. The premise dealt with conspiracy theories, secret government projects and the paranormal. A policeman haunted by his past was among the key characters. Also Read: Stranger Things, Westworld win big at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards 2017
Stranger Things, which has two seasons under its belt with a third on the way, centers on a group of children and teens, who get wrapped up in a government conspiracy. A local police chief, played by David Harbour, is also a central character. Montauk had been available for viewing on online platform Vimeo, but the film was removed from public viewing Tuesday afternoon. Kessler alleges he did not know that Stranger Things mirrored his own ideas until it was released in July 2016, according to the suit. He is suing for breach of implied contract and is seeking monetary damages.
Irony here is that the Stranger Things’s lead star, Millie Bobby Brown recently was given a $3 Million raise for her third season. Millie’s initial contract with streaming giant Netflix called for her to make USD 250,000 per episode in season three. But according to TMZ, her salary would now be as high as USD 350,000 per episode, which would put her on par with Stranger Things’ adult stars, Winona Ryder and David Harbour.